Trolley-wheel.



J. L. PERKINS; G. W. PUTNAM & C. M. MUNSON.

' .TROLLEY WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.26, 1910.

Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

M y mu m NWHM R W. mm as 2%. Ja

WITNESSES.-

NITD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN L. PERKINS, CLESSON W. PUTNAM, AND CHARLES M. MUNSON, 0F HOLYOKE,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO B. F. PERKINS AND SON, INCORPORATED, OFHOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

TROLLEY-WI-IEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

Application filed. February 26, 1910. Serial No. 546,187.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN L. PERKINS, CLnssoN lV. PUTNAM, and CHARLES M.MUN- SON, citizens of the United States of America, and residents ofHolyoke, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Vheels, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to trolley wheels of a class in which a part ofthe wheel is composed of an inexpensive metal such as cast iron, whilethe wire running part is composed of a brazen metal, such as brass,bronze or the like.

The object of the present invention is to improve a wheel of thisgeneral description so that there will be an attainment, as nearly aspossible, of perfection in the wheel in point of cheapness andpracticability of production, the maximum of durability and the highestpossible degree of conductivity and efliciency in use in connection withan electric car.

The invention consists in a wheel such as described in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings and set forth in the claims.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a central sectional view of the trolleywheel taken on the plane of its axis. Fig. 2 is a sectional viewcentrally through the trolley wheel shown in Fig. l but on a plane atright angles to its axis. Fig. 3 is an axial sectional view similar toFig. 1 but showing a slight and almost manifest modification ofconstrnction.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all ofthe views.

In the drawings,A represents the body of the trolley wheel having anaxial opening a therethrough, having an inclosed annular chamber Z)therein which surrounds and inwardly communicates with the axialopening; and the said body is provided between its ends with anintegrally formed portion (Z located within the annular chamber, saidintegrally formed portion extending inwardly from the peripheral outerwall portion and terminating in coincidence with the wall of the openinga, and this integrally formed portion cl has a passage or aperture fwhich leads from the periphery of the body through the portion d to theinner end of the latter. The body A with the integral portion cl whichhas the said passage or aperture f therein is understood as made of ironand is preferably produced by casting.

D represents a ring of brass, bronze or other brazen metal, such ascommonly employed for good conductivity in trolley wheels having itslocation entirely outside of the iron body and provided with integralopposite outwardly diverging flanges g g which constitute the borders ofthe usual annular wire receiving groove 02. This brazen ring is cast ina surrounding arrangement about, and has a rib and groove engagementwith the iron body, so that it is rigidly united, and immovablerelatively to the iron body and it has an integral extension in whichextends down into and fills the inwardly terminating opening in theaforementioned integral internal portion (Z of the iron body.

F, shown in Figs. 1 and 3, represents a brass, bronze, or coppersleeve-like axle receiving bushing having a driving fit in the axialopening of the iron body, made slightly longer than the axial length ofthe body so that its ends project slightly, in a hub-like manner, beyondthe body. This bushing is provided with ducts 2' 2' preferably atopposite sides of a median plane of the wheel which is perpendicular toits axis, which ducts extend from the periphery of the bushing to thecentral axle passage therethrough and by reason of their spacedlocations at opposite sides of the middle of the bushing, there is neverdanger, even if the bushing is driven to its place in the center of thebody without care or thought, of the ducts becoming coincident with, andto be stopped up by, the inner end of the integral inwardly extendingportion d of the iron body at one side thereof or by the oppositepartitionconst-ituting integral extension d opposite the integralextension d. The integrally formed portion (Z of the body serves as acounterbalance to the aortion cl, and it also constitutes an obstructingwall or bafiie for materially lessening the tendency of the lubricant y,when not entirely filling the chamber, from remaining and having awhirling movement at the outer wall of the chamber b. The lubricant maybe introduced into the form of a plurality of separate shallow pockets,into which the base or inner portion of the brazen ring D has itsinterlocking and anchoring engagement. The brazen ring D, the integrallycast radially arranged and inwardly projecting continuation h of whichhas contact with the middle of the brass or bronze bushing F constitutesa medium of the best conductivity for carrying the current taken fromthe trolley wire at the rim of the wheel to the bushing and thence tothe brass contact springs provided as usual in the trolley harp andhaving bearings on the hub ends of the wheel. This wheel may be producedin a rapid manner by casting operation entirely practicable as known tometal founders and by the employment of a chill for acquiring aperfectly smooth and hard surface in the wall of the groove of theflanged ring D; and only so much of the higher priced brazen metal isnecessarily used as a component in the wheel as to give an adequate lifein the wearing portion of the wheel and provide for the perfectconducting of the current in the manner explained; and even when thewheel is completely worn out, the discarded wheel may be broken up andthe portions thereof of different metal remelted and reclaimed.

We claim l. A trolley wheel composed of an iron body having an axialopening therethrough, having an annular chamber, surrounding, andinwardly communicating with said axial opening, and provided with anintegrally iormed portion within its annular chamber I which extendsinwardly and terminates in coincidence with thewall of the axialopening, which integrally formed portion has a passage leading from theperiphery of the body to its inner end, and the said body having also aninternal integral, partition forming, and balancing, projection, and agrooved rim portion for the Wheel of brazen metal cast in a surroundingengagement about, and having a rib and groove engagement with, the ironbody, said grooved brazen rim portion having an integral extensionfilling the said inwardly terminating opening.

2. A trolley wheel composed of an iron body having an axial openingtherethrough, having an inclosed annular chamber surrounding andinwardly communicating with said axial opening, and said body beingprovided between its ends with an integrally formed portion within itsannular chamber which extends inwardly and terminates in coincidencewith the wall of the axial opening, such integrally formed portionhaving a passage leading from the periphery of the body to its innerend, a grooved rim portion for the wheel of brazen metal cast in asurrounding engagement about, and having a rib and groove engagementwith, the iron body, said grooved brazen rim portion having an integralinward extension filling the said inwardly terminating opening, and abrazen axle receiving sleeve-like bushing,

I having a driving fit in the axial opening of the body, and providedwith ducts at opposite sides of the median plane of the wheel extendingfrom its periphery to the central passage therein.

Signed by us at Holyoke Mass. in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN L. PERKINS. CLESSON W. PUTNAM. CHARLES M. MUN SON. lVitnesses:

FRED P. CLEVELAND, WM. H. BOND.

